Kitz Forum

Chat => Tech Chat => Topic started by: burakkucat on November 05, 2015, 01:42:38 AM

Title: A Cipher Challenge
Post by: burakkucat on November 05, 2015, 01:42:38 AM
Back in September 2013, GCHQ (http://www.gchq.gov.uk) set a multi-part cipher challenge. Within three days of me mentioning it (http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,12934.0.html), Kitz, Our Leader, had solved the first part.

I think that the time is now ripe for me to set a cipher challenge. There is no prize of any sort on offer. The details? Just decipher the file (https://elrepo.org/people/ajb/tmp/) named cipher-challenge and all will be revealed.

Entities from GCHQ (http://www.gchq.gov.uk) and NSA (https://www.nsa.gov/) are also welcome to take part!  :D
Title: Re: A Cipher Challenge
Post by: roseway on November 05, 2015, 10:11:12 AM
Unfortunately I wouldn't know where to start, but I'm sure there are plenty more accomplished puzzle solvers than me. :)
Title: Re: A Cipher Challenge
Post by: renluop on November 05, 2015, 10:18:35 AM
ditto, but that's to be expected! Wouldn't even know how to open it. :baby: :D
Title: Re: A Cipher Challenge
Post by: kitz on November 07, 2015, 01:21:21 AM
oooh I love puzzles like that trying to find links in cipher or code.

Unfortunately having just had a quick look, it looks rather long and possibly time consuming.   Therefore I must decline, because knowing me I will get very distracted and spend time on it when I should be doing other things.   Even now my fingers are twitching to look again... yet I know if I do, then I will probably still be there several hours later not realising time has flown.   :(
Title: Re: A Cipher Challenge
Post by: kitz on November 07, 2015, 01:41:11 AM
Oh gawd..   I knew I shouldnt have looked..   I am going to make myself go to bed now.

Can I ask.   Do we need to install a language pack to solve it.   I see lots of (boxed) characters that are indicative of what happens when you dont have the correct (eg asian type) language installed on the PC... and Im unsure if this is by design or not.   

A scan through also causes my whiskers to twitch at JAP and KAT
Title: Re: A Cipher Challenge
Post by: burakkucat on November 07, 2015, 03:37:48 AM
A quick answer (as I can hear my bed calling me) is that the full 8-bit character set is used.

I.e. There are 28 (256) characters in the set, with values ranging from 0x000 (NULL) to 0x100

On a Unix or Linux based system, the cipher-challenge file type is data.
Title: Re: A Cipher Challenge
Post by: roseway on November 07, 2015, 07:53:10 AM
I opened it in a hex editor, but that didn't enlighten me :)